GUWAHATI, May 24 ? State Forest Department has cleared about 2000 hectares of forest land in and around Guwahati in addition of large areas cleared of encroachers in the rest of the State in the on-going eviction drive launched on May 7 last. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF), KN Dev Goswami today told newsmen here that the department is committed and bound by Supreme Court directive to clear all forest areas in the State from the clutch of encroachers.

Conservator of Forest (Central and Western Assam), D Haraprasad informed that since May 7 till today 2000 hectares of land...

BADARPUR, May 24 ? Entire Barak Valley in Southern Assam is now being hit by the activities of Muslim United Liberation Tigers of Assam (MULTA), which has become a matter of deep concern for all sections of the peoples. The Cachar police has already arrested eight doubtful persons along with a huge quantity of arms and ammunition from Kanakpur Khalerpar area of Cachar district last Saturday night, in connection with various anti-social activities. From this incident, Cachar Police has drawn a clear picture that these eight arrested are undoubtedly members of the fundamentalist militant groups...

GUWAHATI, May 24 ? A tussle between the State Government and the HUDCO over the conditions of loan repayment has led to the inordinate delay in completion of the much publicised HUDCO-sponsored Rs 96-crore Guwahati Metropolitan Area Storm Drainage Improvement Programme. The programme was launched in December 1999 and was scheduled for completion by March 2002.

Four State Government Departments, viz, PWD, Irrigation, Flood Control and the Town and Country Planing, are engaged in the implementation of the programme and the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) is the nodal agency...

Imphal, May 24: The secretary of the Council for Higher Secondary Education, Dr Kh Joychandra Singh, was shot and wounded by activists of the underground Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup, KYKL, this afternoon as a punishment for allegedly bribing his way into his post. Dr Joychandra, who was appointed secretary of the council at the end of April was abandoned by the KYKL activists with bullet wounds in both legs at the Loijeng Chingkhong area under Lamlai police station. He has since been admitted to JN hospital. Joychandra had been kidnapped by activists of the underground group on May 16 last...

GUWAHATI, May 23 ? The latest revision of recharge voucher (Smart cards) rates by the Reliance Mobile for consumers of Guwahati has given rise to widespread resentment among mobile phone users here.

The consumers feel that they are being taken for a ride and made to pay through their nose by the Reliance Mobile which is enjoying a monopoly market here in absence of a second mobile phone service provider unlike in other cities of the country.

The Reliance Mobile has reduced the call time of the Rs 600 recharge voucher to Rs 428 only from earlier call time worth Rs 541 much to the chargin of...